Effect of Continuous Nursing Care on Social Function and Medication Compliance of Female Patients With Schizophrenia

Continuity of care is considered to be a critical indicator of quality of care and a key to effective management of schizophrenia. Current studies are generally represented by data on male patients. This study examines the effects of continuity of care on social functioning, medication adherence, and readmission rates in female schizophrenic patients.

A total of 50 women patients with schizophrenia discharged from a ward of a psychiatric hospital in Fuyang, Anhui province were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups. This is a randomized controlled trial. Patients in the intervention group were given discharge routine care, education on medication-taking methods and precautions, monthly telephone follow-up visits and reminders for outpatient review, followed by continuous nursing. Patients in the control group were given conventional care. The registration number of this study is ChiCTR2400089061.

When comparing the two groups at different time points, except for the preintervention score which was not statistically significant between the two groups, the total social functioning score of the intervention group was higher than that of the control group at all other time points, and the difference was statistically significant. The effect of intervention factors on medication adherence scores was statistically significant when compared at different time points, and the medication adherence scores of the intervention group were higher than those of the control group at all time points, with statistically significant differences.

We found that patients who received extended care had significantly improved social functioning and higher medication adherence than patients who received usual care at various time points.